Paper machine clothing is well known in the art of papermaking. The paper machine clothing may comprise a support structure woven from metal or polymeric filaments. The intersection of filaments in the weave of the support structure may result in void spaces near the point of contact between intersecting filaments. These void spaces may harbor moisture and/or fiber fines. The presence of moisture and/or fiber fines in the void spaces may adversely impact the efficiency of the forming and drying processes involving the clothing.
The void spaces may become at least partially filled with water during the forming process. The combination of the embryonic web material and the clothing may contain additional water due to the water present in the void spaces. The additional water may require the expenditure of additional energy to remove the water from the clothing during the drying process.
The presence of fiber fines in the void spaces may impact the service life of the clothing. Fiber fines may be abrasive with respect to the clothing filaments. The motion of the clothing in the papermaking process may result in relative motion between the intersecting filaments. This relative motion may facilitate abrasion of the filaments by fiber fines present in the void spaces. Such abrasion may reduce the useful service life of the paper-machine clothing.
The presence of fines in the void spaces may increase the need to clean the clothing. The clothing may be cleaned by showering it with water. This cleaning requirement may require additional process water. Reducing the void spaces of the clothing and the attendant sanitation requirements may reduce the volume of water required for the process as a whole.
Paper machine clothing has been disclosed wherein the void spaces have been eliminated. In one example, the woven paper-machine clothing was heated to a temperature sufficient to cause the periphery of the filaments of the woven structure to melt and flow together. The clothing was subsequently cooled yielding clothing substantially devoid of the aforementioned void spaces. The intersecting filaments of resulting clothing fuse each to the other at the points of intersection. This fusion of the filaments may reduce the possible relative motion of the filaments as the paper machine clothing moves through the paper making process.
The present invention provides a woven support structure having reduced filament intersection voids that retains the capacity for relative motion of the woven filaments at the intersections of the filaments.